the vietnam honeymoon: saigon

after the quiet and gentle charm of hoi an, saigon was certainly a contrast.

our last two days were spent gulping down cup after cup of sugarcane juice and iced coffee, dodging insistent hands grasping at our arms at ben thanh market, and taking deep breaths before crossing wide streets filled with hundreds of buzzing motorbikes with false bravado.

i did love the numerous little boutiques that lined the streets; it’s a bit how i imagined avenida might have looked like back when humongous malls were still non-existent.

while one falls in love with hoi an at first sight, saigon, though not unpalatable, is more of an acquired taste.

packed breakfast (from hoang trinh) at the da nang airport.

our flight to ho chi minh was delayed for four(!) hours.

home sweet home at saigon

kim cafe!

mobile bookstore

i swear i'm going back for those boots!

oh, fresh cherries, how i've missed you! and hello, giant atis!

no, no. we didn't get matching fedoras.

nha hang ngon along pasteur st.

i'm not sure who trfs is, but it feels nice to be loved.

we walked for four hours looking for the lunch lady. we walked. for four hours.

the lunch lady! oh, it was so, so worth it!

the reflection series.

rise of the planet of the apes - vietnamese version

pocket parks spread throughout district 1

sugarcane juice with a splash of dalandan and iced vietnamese coffee beside a busy street. so good!

that beefsteak was delicious!

please take note of the balikbayan box, haha!

hong hoa hotel – i think hoang trinh ruined us for other hotels, haha! but yeah, hong hoa was okay too. none of the little touches of hospitality but the room was clean, location was good and the staff were courteous. 🙂